That is, people who keep so many animals in their home that they are unable to care for them properly. Often hoarders feel compelled to continue acquiring animals even after they have been court-ordered to stop.

The Pike County Humane Society in Shohola has a do-not-adopt list.

"Not only that, we share the information with any other shelters in the area," said shelter Director Barry Heim. "We've been doing that for at least 15 years."

The do-not-adopt list in shelters is often subjective.

In Pike, they are watching for people who show signs of abuse in their relationships. For example, if a husband is really bossy with his wife and kids, Heim said.

Instead of waiting for each state to build an animal abuse registry, the Animal Legal Defense Fund is building its own nationwide database of abusers.

"We wanted to put together something accessible nationwide and populate it with official convictions," Green said.

State registries don't cross state lines, but a nationwide database is more comprehensive.

"It will provide a tool that pet stores, shelters and individuals can use to assure that an animal is going to a home that is worthy," Green said. "Shelters want this. The whole point is to prevent convicted animal abusers from obtaining more animals to abuse."

The national registry will be searchable by full name and date of birth.

Most shelters already have access to that information because they require a driver's license or identification to adopt a pet.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund has already acquired decades of animal abuse convictions for many states and expects to have the registry operating in early 2014.

The national registry would be used as a tool for pet stores, shelters and individuals to look up the name of anyone wishing to adopt a pet.

The California-based Animal Legal Defense Fund was founded by attorneys in 1979 who work to protect animals through the legal system by advocating for stronger enforcement of anti-cruelty laws nationwide.